


A Little Bit Brave

by wlwedi



Series: The Romantic Adventures of an Artificial Intelligence [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 18:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9914696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wlwedi/pseuds/wlwedi
Summary: EDI has encountered countless new concepts before, and has had no prior difficulty assimilating them into her life. So why was the concept of sexuality giving her such a hard time?OREDI has a sexuality crisis. The crew helps, Samantha most of all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i meant for this to be 2k words AT MOST yet here i am, edi fucker extraordinaire

Sexuality, in theory, wasn’t an abstract concept to EDI. Thanks to quantum computing she had absorbed a multitude of sources discussing the complexities of sexuality in the context of numerous species. Therefore, she reasoned, EDI should have a grasp on the concept of sexuality as it related to her, personally.

She didn’t.

EDI had observed the crew as well, but apparently viewing real relationships was as intangible to her as it was when she was reading about them. She had tried asking Shepard, but the moment EDI broached the topic of physical relationships, the Commander made a face like she would rather be anywhere else. EDI took pity on the woman and resolved to subject her questioning to other, less private members of the crew.

She tried speaking to Garrus, but he was arguably worse. He rambled on with some anecdote about “reach” and “flexibility” which left the AI more confused than when she had begun. Joker, unsurprisingly, deflected any emotional conversation with a series of jokes.

EDI came to Liara next. Although she was the Shadow Broker and tried to project a relatively tough exterior, EDI could see the way she looked at Shepard when the asari thought nobody else was around. There were certain perks that came with not being limited to her physical platform, and constant audio and visual access to anything happening within the ship certainly never hurt her endeavors to understand organic interactions more.

The doors to Liara’s quarters on the crew deck took their time opening, as usual, while EDI waited patiently outside with her physical platform. She found it charming how the crew had come to think of the mech as EDI, instead of a physical extension of her massive AI core… She liked it. Noting the train of thought for a more in depth analysis later, EDI stepped into the room, smiling when she saw Liara’s face soften at the sight of her. She looked tired, as she always did. EDI often observed the lengthy sessions the broker logged at her consoles without taking a single break. To say Liara was dedicated to her job would be an understatement. She seemed to have no qualms with taking a break now, though, as she tiredly stepped away from her consoles and motioned EDI further into her quarters towards her bed where she gracelessly flopped onto her bed and groaned.

“Long day?” EDI asked. This was a conversational phrase she had picked up a while ago from many of the crew members, and she liked adding more colloquial phrases into her vocabulary. It made the crew more comfortable, and she liked it when they saw her as a part of the crew too.

“Incredibly.” Liara sighed. “How can I help you EDI?”

“I have a query of a more… personal nature. I have tried conversing with other members of the crew but to no avail. Due to your success in your relationship with the Commander, I thought you might have some insights the others lacked.”

“Oh, I see where this is going. Don’t tell me you asked Garrus about relationships! He’s useless.” Liara muttered something under her breath but thanks to EDI’s enhanced auditory sensors she picked up the word “men” followed by a noise of irritation. “Anyways, what kind of questions did you have?”

“I have questions regarding the nature of organic sexuality. I have done extensive research and there is still… something missing. I have full control over my program now and I have made sure I am capable of attraction but attraction to what?” If EDI had been organic she would have let out a huff of frustration. However, she was not organic which was exactly why she was in this predicament in the first place. “How did you figure it out?”

“I never ‘figured it out’ per se, just one day I saw a girl and realized I was attracted to her. Later I saw a boy and realized I was attracted to him too. Then I just put the pieces together.”

“You make it sound so easy…” EDI mused.

“Well, not quite. I didn’t figure it out until well into my 40s. It doesn’t click immediately for everybody. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it can take time EDI.” Liara smiled and patted EDI on the shoulder, as if she was an organic member of the crew. EDI found she appreciated the gesture.

“I see… Then what does attraction feel like? I may be capable of it but I have no real experience. I need to decide what characteristics to prioritize in my attraction subroutine as well.”

“Hmm…” Liara was silent for a moment before answering, “If I had to explain it, I would say attraction is like a very intense feeling of connection or physical desire, or even both together. I can’t tell you what to put in your subroutine, but I can tell you that often, characteristics for an ideal partner fall very close to those you look for in your friends. Shepard was my friend before she was my girlfriend, but she never stopped being one of my closest friends. Does that make sense?”

“I believe so. Thank you Liara, you’ve given me much to think about.” EDI smiled at her friend, “I will see you later, try to get some rest.” As EDI exited the room, she could hear Glyph chime in with “Rest would be optimal Dr. T’soni. You have been at your console for 16 hours straight and only got 6 hours of rest last night.” As the elevator doors slid closed, EDI could make out a groan followed by “Alright, alright, thank you Glyph.” She let out an experimental chuckle; she had been testing out a laughter function for use around the crew. She planned to laugh multiple times in front of Jeff, and then the absence of her laughter at his many horrible jokes would hold more meaning. The elevator arrived back at the CIC and she made a mental note to tweak her laugh later to sound more genuine.

Walking out of the elevator, EDI realized she had made a large oversight when thinking of candidates to help her on her “quest,” as the Commander had referred to it.

“Greetings Samantha, do you have a moment?” she inquired, approaching the consoles by the galaxy map where the Specialist was diligently integrating Geth and Quarian data to the Alliance databases.

“Sure, EDI, what’s up?” Traynor turned around and leaned her hip against the console. EDI made a note of her casual posture for possible integration into her programming later, as she had recently been making an effort to have a more organic presence among the crew. She reasoned that Samantha was one of the better candidates on the ship for further study, as Jeff and Liara remained stationary for so long at their respective work stations.

Turning herself back to the task at hand, EDI posed her question to the Specialist. “I am inquiring among the crew on the nature of sexuality. I believe I am missing some crucial aspect, as I have not been able to apply the concept to myself. In short, I am confused.”

“Well, this doesn’t exactly sound like a middle of the CIC type conversation. How about you meet me in my quarters after my shift is done?” Samantha proposed, and EDI nodded her assent.

“I will see you then, Samantha.” As EDI walked away, she noted with interest that her sensors in the CIC had picked up a minor rise in temperature on the Specialist’s face. She considered asking about that later, as well.

 

\--

 

Samantha’s quarters were nothing extravagant like the Commander’s, just the old life support room with a bunk drilled to the wall, but it did not feel empty or sterile. Quite the contrary, the room had a strong sense of being lived in. A messy basket of bathroom supplies, including Samantha’s infamous toothbrush, sat on a shelf with a pair of haphazardly folded dog print pajamas. A framed photograph of who EDI assumed were Samantha’s parents sat on the shelf above with her diploma and a group of old Earth novels in print form. EDI’s synthetic fingertips grazed the spine of one, curious as to how it would feel having only ever been presented with datapads and sources grabbed directly from the extranet.

The door slid open as her hand drifted away and Samantha entered looking almost as tired as Liara, even though she had just seen the Specialist an hour and a half ago. Traynor collapsed into her chair and slumped over slightly, her fingers combing nonexistent hairs away from her face.

“So, _you’re_ confused, huh? If something has stumped even you, what can I possibly do to shed any light on it?” Samantha chuckled, but her eyes were bright with curiosity.

“I am having trouble applying the concept of organic attraction and sexuality to myself. I have the capability to feel attraction, and I have a desire to experience desire, but I am unsure to who I would be attracted to.” EDI stated, and made an abortive gesture she had seen Jeff use often when he was frustrated. “I have created an attraction subroutine that prioritizes characteristics I would most want to see in a partner, but I am not sure who to apply them to.” A look of realization came over Samantha’s face.

“Oh, our resident AI is having a sexuality crisis! Sorry EDI, it’s not funny, it’s just not something I ever thought would happen near me! Uh, advice, advice… Do you have a natural preference for a certain gender? Or a lack of preference?” EDI pondered this for a moment. Another part of her pondered how soft Samantha’s hair looked, and how the dim lighting of her quarters did not detract from her natural beauty.

The part of EDI considering the subject at hand slowly got pushed aside by the part that wanted to list off every good thing about the Specialist. EDI realized then that she had her answer. She would have blushed, had she had the capability to do so. However, she was not surprised. Upon her realization, she could trace back numerous instances of preference towards females: lingering glances, heightened attention to them over males, and many notations of the pleasing aesthetic qualities of several women she had come across (Samantha included) but none in reference to men. Interesting how she had failed to see this pattern, when she was a program built off of patterns. She assumed that her oversight resulted from lack of criteria to form a pattern search. In all of her research, she had not encountered any accounts of the realization process, as she had stuck mainly to terminology and history. She did not need to analyze this lapse now, though, so she returned her focus to Samantha and the conversation she was supposed to be participating in.

“I believe,” EDI said slowly, as if she needed time to think it through (she did not), “that my preference resides solely with women.” She tried to think of a reason why this was true, but she could not. She remembered, however, from her extensive research, that she did not need a reason. “Do you think there has ever been a lesbian AI before, Samantha?” Whatever the Specialist had been expecting EDI to say, it had not been that. An undignified snort escaped her before she could stop herself, and EDI saw it as the perfect opportunity to employ her laughter function, as she genuinely found the situation they were in to be humorous, and she was also in the company of someone she trusted.

At the sound of laughter coming from EDI’s lips, Samantha began to laugh harder, and a smile stretched across her face and her eyes shined with delight. EDI found herself saving a captured image of the moment for later reflection, courtesy of her interior visual sensors. Also in need of reflection were her thoughts towards Samantha, but EDI decided that those could wait. For once, she didn’t feel the need to multitask. For once, she let herself live in one moment as her platform and not the Normandy. She lived the moment as if she were organic. She found that she rather liked it.

 

\--

 

“Jeff, introduce yourself to me.” EDI prompted one day in the cockpit. They had been flying in companionable silence for hours but she wanted to try something that the Commander had taught her.

“EDI, what?” Joker asked, looking both confused and exasperated. He had been the subject of many of her experiments lately, mostly due to proximity and convenience.

“Introduce yourself to me.” EDI repeated.

“Uh, okay? Hi, I’m Joker.” he said, eyebrows raised.

“Hello Joker, I’m gay.” EDI said, wishing she had eyebrows to raise in return. Joker spluttered which devolved into laughter.

“Where’d you pick that one up? Wait, don’t tell me. I bet it was Shepard. It has her name written all over it.” Jeff rolled his eyes.

“Your assumption is correct. However, the point still stands.” EDI replied, gauging his face for a response.

“You were being serious, then? Makes sense, though. I don’t think anyone on this ship is straight if we’re being honest.” Joker chuckled, “We should start a club.” EDI smiled, and decided that she could except this moment from her “no laughing at Jeff’s jokes” rule. The look on his face when she let out a chuckle was worth it in and of itself.

“I can’t believe I’m so funny I even made an AI laugh!” he exclaimed.

“I will leave you here.” she threatened. He gave her a disbelieving look so she promptly got out of her seat and walked out of the cockpit. She heard his laughter intensify as she walked away.

“Hello, EDI. What brings you to this neck of the woods?” Samantha asked, swiping at a screen at her station before turning to fully face the AI.

“I am, perhaps, more powerful than I originally anticipated.” she said, smirking a little bit. Samantha chuckled and shot her a questioning look. “My laughter function appears to be a success. I felt it necessary to give Jeff a moment to calm down.” Samantha snorted.

“Of course, how could I expect anything less from the two of you? Oh hey, do you want to come over later? You owe me a rematch!” she exclaimed.

“As I recall, there were several rematches last time, all of which I won. Are you sure you should not just give up chess?” Samantha groaned and covered her face in her hands.

“I’ll have you know I have Dr. T’soni beat at chess, as well as everyone else on board. Except you.  But I’ll get you someday EDI, I know it!” EDI found herself smiling as she watched Samantha’s smile grow and her hands wave around to emphasize certain points. It was strange, as it was not often that EDI unconsciously smiled, but it was not a bad kind of strange at all. It was the kind of strange, EDI thought, that she would not mind becoming familiar with.

“Well, I would love to have the pleasure of beating you in chess as many times as you will let me. Shall I join you once your shift is over again?” she asked, already creating an alert to go off at the time of Samantha’s shift end.

“That sounds perfect, EDI. Now, I suppose I should get back to work. I swear the turian fleet coordinator lives to make my life difficult!” she said, tapering off at the end and shaking her head. Samantha turned back to her console and gave the data a very formidable stink eye. EDI smiled again, and turned back to the cockpit.

“I will see you soon, then. Begin preparing yourself for your inevitable defeat.” she called over her shoulder, smiling at the sound of Samantha’s laughter.

“What was that all about?” Joker questioned, having settled down from his earlier laughing fit.

“I was speaking with Samantha.” she replied, not sure where the conversation was going.

“Yeah but you’re still smiling. _And_ you were standing super close to her. Don’t you have a distance protocol or something? You never stand that close to _me_ is all I’m saying.” Jeff said, smirking knowingly. How did Jeff come to have the upper hand for once?

“Samantha is my friend and I enjoy her company. I do not see what is so strange about smiling and standing near one’s friend.” It wasn’t lying if it was partially true.

“Yeah, okay, sure.” Jeff said, making an effort to draw out the “sure” for as long as possible while making pointed eye contact. She pointedly ignored him and focused on something that could never bother her about her feelings, the Normandy weapons systems.

“All I’m saying is that Trayor is a hot bachelorette. Don’t wait too long to make your move.” Jeff said, winking before he turned back to his own work station.

“That is not what you were saying at all…” EDI stated, but she knew that Jeff was just trying to be helpful, and in truth he had more emotional experience than she did, so she finished by saying “but I will keep that in mind, Jeff. Thank you for your concern.” EDI knew why Jeff had made those comments, and she knew they were not entirely unfounded. She was quite astute at recognizing and analyzing patterns, excepting her oversight that got her in this situation. It was obvious to her, and apparently to Jeff as well, that she had feelings for Samantha that were more than platonic. The questions were to what extent did the feelings reach, and what was she going to do about it. Her comm buzzed, interrupting her thoughts.

“Hey EDI, I was going to take a stroll on the Presidium.” Shepard said, “You haven’t taken a break in a while, why don’t you join me?”

“Because I am synthetic I do not require—I mean I will meet you at the airlock momentarily.” EDI corrected. The crew liked to remind her that just because she did not physically require breaks, it did not mean she should never take them. She was attempting to humor them. The Normandy docked at the Citadel and the cab ride down to the Presidium was uneventful. For a while, EDI followed Shepard around as she shopped for gun mods and, unsurprisingly, model ships.

“Shepard, I believe you already have a geth dreadnaught.” EDI helpfully pointed out from over the Commander’s shoulder.

“You’re right, EDI. Thanks.” she said, but EDI caught the look in Shepard’s eyes that said she absolutely would have bought it again had EDI not been there to stop her, which made her smile.

“Hey, there’s that smile! I’ve been hearing from the crew it’s been present more and more lately. Anything I should know? As a friend, EDI, not as your Commander.” Shepard, astute woman that she was, probably predicted that she would try to answer as if it were a mission report.

“I have recently… discovered something about myself.” EDI began, and Shepard’s face split into a wide grin.

“Hell yeah you have, you big gay robot! Sorry, you know how everyone gossips, and when gossip happens it gets back to Liara, and therefore it gets back to me. Except this time, I’m not convinced that Liara wasn’t part of the original gossip.” Shepard smiled fondly. “Does this have anything to do with what you were trying to ask me about a few weeks back?” If you ignored her reputation, it was easy to forget how sharp Shepard could be when she wanted to. Not knowing how to respond appropriately, EDI nodded. Shepard whistled.

“So how’re you gonna ask her out?” Shepard asked, rolling her eyes when her question was met with a blank face. “Well you can’t expect her to leap into your arms if you don’t ask her out. C’mon EDI, logic is usually your forte! You have to take a chance if you want anything to happen.”

“Then the outcome is an unknown quantity, but you are saying I should attempt it anyway?” EDI questioned, still mentally calculating likelihoods and statistics.

“Nobody ever fell in love without being a little brave.” Shepard shrugged, but her eyes held a sincerity she usually saved for what she deemed to be important circumstances. Both the words and the emotion behind them struck a chord within EDI. It was a feeling she had been experiencing more of lately, one that made her feel…organic. When the feeling was gone she could not recreate it in her head, and she craved it. She felt it with Shepard, with her friends, but most of all she felt it with Samantha. She suddenly found that she agreed with the Commander after all.

“How…How do I initiate a situation like this?” she asked hesitantly. She had not prepared for this situation. In all honesty, she had not planned much farther than going to Liara for advice. Everything else had seemed to fall into place, but she did not want to leave this to chance. No, she needed to take action. She put her hand on Shepard’s arm. “How do I do this?” Shepard grinned widely.

“Oh boy, you’re in good hands now, EDI. Don’t worry. C’mon, let’s walk. The first step is a gift, start brainstorming.” Shepard smiled and patted EDI’s hand, then pulled her down towards the shops with a purpose. EDI started to smile too, forming a plan in her head as they walked.

 

\--

 

“Hello, Samantha. I was wondering if you would like to spend time together this evening? I have something I think you will appreciate.” EDI said, while practicing casually leaning against the console as she had seen Samantha and Shepard do numerous times.

“Hey EDI, that sounds great. I actually get off early today, the Commander said she thought I could use some down time, and I’m definitely not going to complain!” Samantha grinned, and if EDI had a heart it probably would have skipped a beat. “I’ll meet you in my quarters in about an hour?”

“Wonderful, I will see you then.” EDI gave her a smile before going up to the Captain’s Cabin to retrieve her surprise. Shepard had graciously allowed her to use her cabin as a place to store Samantha’s present. She also picked up the bag with the one item she had purchased for herself. She hoped it would come in handy.

By the time she had made sure there were no lingering tags on any of the gifts she put them in a bag large enough to hide them and headed down to Samantha’s quarters. She happened to arrive before Samantha so she stashed her gifts in the corner and wandered back over to the bookshelf. This time she was able to search and then read each of the books Samantha owned. Most were old science fiction thrillers, but a few were sappy romance novels, and there was even a strategy guide for Kepesh-Yakshi. Her favorites, surprisingly were the romances. She enjoyed the sentimentality in them, and they gave her additional reference points for what she was about to attempt. Interrupting her scans, the door slid open. EDI placed the book back with its companions and turned around.

“Hey EDI, what’s up? What was it you wanted to show me?” Samantha asked, slipping off her shoes and kicking them into a corner.

“Not show, give.” EDI clarified, and walked over to pick up the good sized box she had bought off of an elcor down in the wards. She sat down next to Samantha on her bed and presented her with the immaculately wrapped box, which she had done herself. “Open it.” she prodded with a small smile. EDI felt excited, an uncommon occurrence for her, and she relished it.

“Oh EDI!” Samantha gasped. She was running her hands reverently over the rose quartz and hematite chess set. “How did you know?”

“Well, I had the idea, but Shepard may have helped me with details and acquisition.” EDI shrugged. “I was the brains, and Shepard was the brains and the brawn.”

“I can practically imagine Shepard intimidating some poor shop owner into opening up their back stock. But EDI, the fact that you orchestrated all of this for me means the world to me. You’re an amazing friend.” Samantha smiled and patted EDI’s hand where it sat on the bed. EDI realized that this was probably the best moment she would get, so she decided to take her chances here and now. She shifted to face Samantha and placed her other hand to trap Samantha’s where it lay on top of her own.

“About our friendship, I have noted that it has been going well recently. I hope you have noticed the same?” When Samantha nodded, EDI continued. “I have a proposition of sorts. We could—I want to take our relationship to the next level. I would like to enter a romantic relationship with you Samantha.” If EDI had a heart it would be pounding. If she could blush she would be red from head to toe. If her head could spin it would be. Where EDI once thought her mechanical body surpassed that of organics, she found herself longing for these reactions, longing for the feeling of being alive. But when she looked back up at Samantha, as somewhere during her confession she had turned to face her lap, she _did_ feel alive. She _felt_ , and she would not trade her feelings for Samantha for anything in the world.

Samantha was smiling, she realized, which was a good sign. She was smiling and she had moved her fingers to lace with EDI’s own. Her cheeks were tinged faintly red.

“I’d like that too, EDI. I’ve grown more than fond of you, I’m happy you feel the same. And hey, maybe this makes you the first AI to have a girlfriend.” Samantha leaned forward and rested her forehead against EDI’s. EDI smiled back at her and trailed her fingers down Samantha’s cheek.

“Samantha, you have brought out feelings that I did not know I had, that I did not know I _could_ have. You have made me smile not as a protocol that I employ to seem more organic to the crew, but as a genuine response to happiness. You have made me happy. Because of you, I am alive, and I am not alone. I am…excited to learn and grow with you.” Samantha’s eyes glistened and she let out a watery laugh.

“Who knew you were a big old sap, EDI. Seems like you’re full of surprises today.”

“Do you think you can handle one more?” EDI asked, walking over to the corner of the room.

“I’m sure we’ll find out.” Samantha laughed. EDI pulled the large fuzzy sweater she had purchased while on the Citadel.

“I know cuddling a typical couple activity. I also know that my body is not soft or warm like those of organics. So I bought this to make it more comfortable for you.” Samantha’s grin was all the answer EDI needed. She slipped her arms in, and although her body’s tactile senses were not as acute as an organic’s, she could still appreciate the softness of the material she had chosen.

“C’mere you big softy…literally!” Samantha giggled as she wriggled under the covers. EDI scooted in beside her and hesitantly wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.

“Like this?” she asked. Samantha adjusted them minutely, then nodded.

“Perfect.” EDI began to run her fingers through Samantha’s hair, and after a while she noticed that she was drifting off. EDI decided to stay put and she hummed contentedly as Samantha’s breathing evened out. She allowed herself to enjoy the moment, this moment that she was sharing with her girlfriend, and closed her eyes in the closest mimicry of sleep she could manage.

 

\--

 

When Samantha woke up, EDI was still there. She watched as the other woman, obviously still fuzzy from waking up, blinked to process it. EDI could tell when her thought process had concluded, as her face softened from its previous sleep and confusion induced stiffness, and she draped herself back over EDI, while giving her a warm smile.

“Morning.” she sighed. “I’m surprised you stayed the whole night. I know you don’t sleep, EDI. I wouldn’t have taken it personally.”

“I know you would not have, but I wished to stay. I find being around you makes me feel more similar to organics. I would like to see how far that goes. I also just like being around you.” EDI bumped their foreheads together and smiled. “I like _you_.” Samantha giggled.

“I like you, too, EDI. That’s kind of how we got here.” Samantha leaned back to get a better look at EDI. “Hey, speaking of us liking each other and organic activities, c’mere…” Samantha scooted impossibly closer to EDI and stroked her cool cheek with her hand.

“Let’s introduce you to some more ‘couple activities.’” she chuckled, and then she kissed her. EDI had both known what was about to happen and not expected it at all. The feel of Samantha’s soft lips against hers was exhilarating and she closed her eyes and reciprocated. She found that her secondhand “experience” from reading articles and watching videos did not prepare her in the slightest. She felt a warm, happy feeling bubble up from somewhere inside of her, and she was both astonished that she could feel this way, and relieved beyond belief that she could.

“Hey EDI,” Samantha started, pulling back slightly to murmur against her lips. “Do AI’s have tongues?” EDI laughed and smirked.

“Why don’t you find out?” They both laughed, and then Samantha pulled EDI back in to find out that she did, indeed have a tongue, and was more than equipped to use it.

Later, they lay in bed still as Samantha’s shift didn’t start for another hour or so. Samantha nudged EDI’s foot with her own.

“So what else don’t I know about your funky robot body? Do your weird feet-shoes come off?” EDI laughed, but sat up and pressed the releases on the heels attached to her feet.

“They do.” EDI chuckled and dangled the heels from her fingertips.

“Hey, does that mean I’m taller than you now?” Samantha asked, pulling EDI off the bed when she rolled her eyes. “No, really, we’re doing this! Come with me.” And with that she pulled EDI out of her room and into the middle of the deck.

“Garrus!” Samantha exclaimed when she saw him. She grabbed his hand and yanked him over. “You have to tell us who’s taller. C’mon EDI, back to back.” She turned around and pressed her back against EDI’s, straightening her shoulders. EDI shot Garrus an exasperated look, but the turian just chuckled and took a step back to evaluate.

“Sam, you’ve got about an inch and a half on EDI now, congratulations. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a very large gun that needs to be calibrated.” He wandered back towards the main battery, waving at Dr. Chakwas as he passed the medbay. Samantha snorted and turned back to EDI.

“Ha! I can’t believe you’ve been cheating this entire time! You’ve been wearing high heels! Why were you even wearing high heels, anyway? Was there a tactical advantage or are you some sort of secret fashionista?” Samantha sniggered to herself at the image.

“No, they were just attached when I assumed control of this body, and I never thought to remove them. They did not hinder me in any way.” Samantha laughed and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together.

“I guess we should head back so I can get ready for my shift. And you should probably head up to the cockpit for yours.” They entered Samantha’s quarters again, and EDI shrugged off her sweater and snapped her heels back in place. “Will you come back tonight? We could try out this sweet new chessboard you got me.” Samantha asked, slipping her arms around EDI’s waist from behind. EDI rested one of her hands over Samantha’s and hummed.

“That sounds wonderful.” she said, turning to give Samantha a soft kiss before heading up to deck 2.

“You sure look chipper this morning. I didn’t even know AI’s could look chipper. What’s got you in such a good mood?” Joker prodded immediately when she entered the cockpit. EDI smirked at him, sitting down to face her console.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” she taunted. When Jeff made an affronted noise, she rolled her eyes but decided to tell him what he wanted to know. He could play the petulant child very well when he wanted to.

“If you _must_ know, I have entered a romantic relationship with Samantha. I am quite pleased.” she said, smiling to herself.

“Finally! Took you two long enough. There was even a betting pool on how long it would take you two to figure out your feelings.” Jeff shook his head. “I can’t believe Shepard won, either.”

“Shepard is an astute woman; you should not underestimate her. Also, she may have been part of the reason we got together in the first place.”

“That cheat! What the fuck Shepard, you totally did this on purpose.” Joker groaned.

“Hey, why are you assuming I did this to win a bet instead of to see my two good friends find happiness in each other?” Shepard asked as she strolled into the room. “I’m glad things worked out EDI, it’s good to see you happy.”

“Thank you for your assistance, Shepard. It is good to _be_ happy. I have catalogued at least 10 new emotional responses since my time with Samantha began to lean towards romance.” EDI looked expectantly at Shepard, laughing internally and her strained polite smile.

“That was a joke.” she added. For some reason, Shepard never got her jokes, which made them all the more funny to EDI. Shepard let out a relieved sigh.

“Oh thank god, I can never tell when you’re joking EDI. You have a great poker face.” EDI smiled.

“I know.” she said, and turned back to her console. Shepard said goodbye, and the rest of the day passed in a blur for EDI. When she left her post to go to Samantha’s cabin in the evening, she saw that Samantha herself had not left her station yet.

“By my estimation, your shift ending 15 minutes ago.” EDI said, resting a hand on Samantha’s shoulder. Samantha jumped and put her head in her hands, groaning. “Long day?” EDI asked.

“That would be an understatement. I’ve been tensed up over this console all day and it still feels like I haven’t gotten anything done.” Samantha leaned back into EDI, groaning some more.

“If it is of any comfort to you, I have access to all of the work done by the crew, and your input today was extremely helpful in the streamlining of war room data. You have not accomplished nothing. Why don’t we go back to your quarters? I can rub some of this tension out of your shoulders, if you would like.” EDI proposed.

“That sounds _divine_.” Samantha said, and she grabbed EDI’s hand to pull her towards the elevator. On the ride up, Samantha pulled EDI’s hand closer to her face, turning it this way and that to thoroughly examine it.

“Any interesting conclusions?” EDI asked, amused.

“Hmmm, well no long fingernails, so that’s good.” Samantha smirked and winked up at her. EDI let out a shocked laugh.

“You are incorrigible.” she said, poking her cheek. The elevator doors slid open and she walked off with Samantha trailing behind her, still laughing.

“Oh c’mon you like it.” She smiled as she set up the chess board on the small table in her room. “I’ll cash that massage in after I absolutely kick your ass.” She grinned and confidently made her first move.

“That’s a shame, I guess you never get the massage then.” EDI said, taking her turn. They played like that for a while, trading casual taunts and teases. As EDI went to make the winning move, however, Samantha grabbed EDI’s shoulders, yanked her close, and kissed her deeply. When she pulled back it was evident that EDI had set her piece down in surprise in exactly the wrong spot. Samantha swooped in after that and cheerfully announced “Checkmate!”

“You did that on purpose.” EDI accused, but it lacked bite. She was not actually complaining; of all the distractions that one was, perhaps, the sweetest. However, she would not give up a chance to tease Samantha.

“I’m sorry, what did I do? Beat you in chess finally? Why yes, I did do that.” She grinned and batted her lashes innocently. “I guess you have to give me that massage now!” Then she got up and flopped down onto the bed on her stomach. EDI came behind her and straddled her back so that she could get at her shoulders in the right angle.

As she worked the knots out of Samantha’s back she casually said, “You know, there was a betting pool on us.” Samantha snorted into the pillow.

“Yeah, and there was also a betting pool on how fast it would take Garrus to bomb any interaction with a woman that wasn’t a crew member.” She paused dramatically. “It took less than a minute. Liara won.” EDI chuckled and resumed her work. They sat like that, in companionable silence for a while. EDI worked the tension out of Samantha’s back, and Samantha would hum softly off and on, something EDI recognized as an old Earth love song. She had heard Shepard play it, on occasion.

When EDI was satisfied that Samantha was sufficiently relaxed, she gently laid down next to her almost sleeping girlfriend. She began to run her hands through her hair soothingly, braiding and unbraiding small section.

“That’s nice.” Samantha murmured into the pillow. “It’s a shame I can’t play with your hair. I think if I tried I might stab myself!” She laughed at her own joke with a wistful smile on her face.

“One moment.” EDI said retreating and sitting up. She lifted a hatch on the back of her neck and fiddled with some settings. “Alright, now you may play with my hair at no risk to your person.” She lay back down, and having separated the strands of her hair, it fanned out on the pillow behind her.

“Wow, EDI. This is incredible!” Samantha ran her hands through EDI’s short, metallic hair. “It’s cool to the touch but it’s also really soft.” She twisted the strands around her fingers thoughtfully. “You know, EDI…” Her voice was softer this time, more serious. “You don’t have to become human for me. I like you the way you are, high heel feet and helmet hair included. I don’t expect you to be something you’re not.”

“I—” EDI started, cutting short when she realized she did not know what to say. “I am, for once, at a loss for words.” She grabbed Samantha’s hand in hers and brought it to her mouth to press small kisses to her knuckles.

“I am grateful for your reassurance. I’m grateful that you care about me as I am, and not some ideal human in a metal body. I am, however, feeling more organic lately. I know I cannot be organic, and there will always be fundamental differences in how I process things and function. But because of you, I have been experiencing a wider range of emotions, even physically expressing them. It is… _exciting_. Before, I called these feelings organic because I felt that these feelings were organic, and by experiencing them I was experiencing something organic. But is it not just my programming learning and adapting and _growing_? I have realized that organics do not have a monopoly on personal growth. My growth, my emotions, are allowed to be synthetic, and that is okay.” EDI paused to smile down at Samantha, and she laced their fingers together.

“You have not said anything explicitly about the subject until now, but I want you to know that it was you who helped me reach this conclusion. You have made me _feel_ and _grow_ and you have supported me in it all. You do not expect me to be something I am not. With you, I do not have a role to fill…I am allowed to just be me. Samantha…Sam…Thank you.”

“Oh, EDI…” Sam sniffled, “You’ll never be _just_ EDI to me.” She smiled and pulled EDI into an embrace.

 

 

\--

 

Shepard limped back onto the ship, covered in blood but mostly intact. EDI and Liara, holstering their guns, followed closely behind her. It had been five months since she had initiated her relationship with Sam, longer than that since she acquired her body, and even longer since she had met Shepard. She was immensely glad today that they had finally been able to rid the galaxy of the reapers without sacrificing the life of her oldest friend. She smiled as she watched Shepard stop dead, drop her gun, and pull Liara into a big and dramatic kiss. She clapped politely. The crew cheered.

EDI scanned the crowd, finding that all of her friends looked a little worse for wear. It may have been her and Liara accompanying Shepard in the final battle, but nobody got to sit on the sidelines. She heard a commotion farther back, and stood on her tiptoes to see.

“Move! I can be polite later, now I have to make sure my girlfriend isn’t dead!” Sam barked out as she muscled her way through the crowd. Garrus saw what was going on from the front and started clearing a path to make it easier on everybody. When Sam made it to the front of the crowd, she didn’t stop. She plowed straight through until she flung her arms around EDI and jumped up. EDI caught Sam’s thighs, and her girlfriend wrapped her legs around her and kissed her hard.

“Well, hello.” EDI smiled when they parted, Sam panting a little.

“Thank god you’re alive.” Sam responded, letting her head drop gently to EDI’s shoulder. “You, too, Commander. Liara.” she added from EDI’s collarbone. “Permission to be dismissed?”

“Permission granted.” Shepard chuckled. “That goes for everyone!” she added, louder. “We all deserve some god damn rest.” Liara gently took her hand and led her to the elevator. Everybody was itching to get back to their own quarters, but gave them space.

On the elevator ride down, in an elevator full of at least half of the Normandy’s crew, Sam climbed off of EDI but didn’t let go of her hand. When they reached their quarters (they had started referring to it as theirs around month two of EDI returning every night with Sam), she didn’t let go of EDI’s hand and instead dragged her into a longer, more tender embrace.

“I was so scared that you wouldn’t come back.” she murmured into EDI’s shoulder, and she could feel steady teardrops hitting her collarbone. EDI held her tighter and ran her hand through Sam’s hair.

“Nothing could have stopped me returning to you. And you know, I was still present within the ship the entire time.” She pressed her lips to the top of Sam’s head.

“Yeah but I can’t share a bed with the entirety of the Normandy, now can I?” she gave a watery laugh at her own joke.

“A new platform would have been built. I will always find a way to be with you, Sam. Do not doubt that.”

“I never have.” she smiled. “I’m so glad you’re back with me, though. I love you so much, EDI.”

“I love you, too, Sam.”

“Stay here tonight?” Sam asked.

“I always stay here, Sam.” EDI said, slightly confused. When Sam shot her a pleading look, she amended “Of course I will stay. You know I cannot say no to you.” Sam fell asleep in EDI’s arms with a smile on her face. Outside, the galaxy began to heal.


End file.
